The Prince and The Sleeping Dork
by Dean's Little Secret
Summary: Merlin is in an apple induced coma. Arthur thinks he might just be inlove with him. Warning: Slash


**First Merlin story! I love this show and its so easy to see that Merlin and Arthur want each other. **

**Warning: Slash, language and an evil apple.**

**The Prince and The Sleeping Dork**

When Arthur Pendragon got up this morning to go on a hunt he didn't expect the following events to occur: _ever_. Everything was fine, normal, it was a nice day, the sky was bright and cloudless and the forest was alive with rustling leaves. It was the perfect day for a hunt… so why did he bring Merlin? He was a klutz; he tripped over roots, stumbled down embankments, walked right into Arthur just as he was about to make the kill oh and he kept yapping on about something that was of little importance to the Prince of Camelot. He was a fool and the worst servant Arthur had ever had but in the coming days he'd realise something he never thought possible. Not for Arthur Pendragon anyway.

But all stories have a beginning and all great events start somewhere and it just so happened that on this clear crisp day an event that would change the courses of history would unfold.

Arthur made his way through the forest, stepping easily over fallen branches, roots and many other things that littered the forest floor. He was quick, agile and fast, he'd have a new trophy before the sun touched the center of the sky (If Merlin could keep his babbling to a minimum and if he could just stop falling over things and scaring away his prey) Arthur wondered, as Merlin scared away the deer, why in the world he decided to bring him again.

A flutter of wigs and heavy hoofs had the prince abandoning his thoughts and quietly but quickly walking towards his next victim. He ordered Merlin to stay back this time. He peered from behind a tree, no deer or birds, just an opening in the trees and something red sitting upon the ground. Arthur squinted at the object lying just out of reach of the sun that flitted through the trees and fell onto the ground like pools of gold. Arthur left his hiding place and made his way to the object only to be disappointed by his findings. It was just an apple. A very red apple at that, but at no use to him. He couldn't put this on his wall and say he killed it and feed his father with it as well.

"Did you find anything?" Merlin asked, half falling out from the shadows.

Arthur bent down and snatched up the apple before turning to face the younger man with a playful grin "I give this to you to show my love and graduate" with that he threw the apple at the warlock who, by some dumb luck, caught it. "No, Merlin I haven't found anything" his smile vanished "someone keeps scaring off the deer."

"I' orr ir."

"Merlin, please don't speak with a mouthful" he said in authority tone but there was an underline of playfulness.

"I'm sorry sire" this was said after swallowing "why is there an apple here?"

Arthur went to reply with a sarcastic comment when it dawned on him that there was no apple tree near here and people didn't often come this way. So there wasn't much chance of it being dropped and left behind. "Someone must have dropped it" he had to say something because a strange sense of fear was coiling around him. "Let's keep moving."

He turned around, ready to forget this and hoped (really hoped) nothing would happen. But there was a thud that was too loud for Merlin to just be stumbling and there was no ouch or oomph to follow it. Upon turning back around Arthur found a fallen servant, a dead apple and a terrible feeling of guilt.

…X…X…X…

Arthur's seen a lot, he knows a lot, he believes a lot but God damnit he never thought he'd find a poisoned apple. An apple! A fucking bright red apple! What was this sorcerer or sorceries thinking? There were many ways to kill, to bewitch people, so why choose an apple that may or may not be found? Arthur had no answers for his questions and he only asked them because he didn't want to feel the guilt that had been eating away at him ever since he heard that thud.

He'd hauled Merlin's unconscious ass all the way back to Camelot and to Gaius (the court physician) and he thought, _he thought_ that Gaius would give him something, _anything_ and he'd wake up and everything would be ok. Well Merlin wasn't ok. He was in a deep, deep sleep. He looked dead for a fact and every time Arthur looked at him he had to remind himself that he was alive.

He was overwhelmed with guilt.

Why didn't he just leave the stupid apple? It should have screamed dangerous, nothing was ever safe in Arthur's life. So why should one fucking apple be any different. Foolish he was. Merlin was paying the price for that.

…X…X…X…

A day later and Merlin was the same and Arthur was guilt ridden and rather furious that Gaius hadn't found a remedy to wake Merlin up and even more furious that his father told him to not feel guilty. It was his fucking fault and he knew that and they knew that. Yet they kept saying 'it wasn't your fault Arthur. You weren't to know Arthur.' Well of course he wasn't to know, but as future king and Prince of Camelot he should have done something. Like thrown the stupid fucking apple away or, well something else then hand it straight to someone to eat.

God damnit, why did someone have to poison an apple?

…X…X…X…

Day two and Arthur was pacing the length of his room for what felt like the hundred thousandth time. Merlin was still in a deep sleep, Gaius still had no idea on how to wake him up and his father kept saying 'he's just a servant, forget about him'. Well that was easy for him to say, he didn't know Merlin like Arthur did. He hadn't been saved by the young boy and he didn't have a bond that seemed stronger than anything. He could easily say that but Arthur could not. The prince slumped into his chair, his legs unable to hold him up any longer. He tilted his head back and stared up at the high rise ceiling. It was covered with cobwebs and he could just make out some spiders. His chambers were rather in a mess since he hadn't found another servant and the one he had was in an apple induced coma.

He sprung back up, the sudden and forceful move sending his chair toppling over. He departed from the room, his stride rigid and each step forceful. He made his way through the palace, across the court and up the stairs to reach Merlin's chambers. He didn't bother to knock, he just pushed the door open with unnecessary strength and stormed through the room and up the stairs to Merlin's pour excuse of a bedroom. He paused in the doorway, unable to move, to look away from the sleeping manservant. He stayed motionless for a few moments before crossing the short distance and settling himself down on the chair next to the bed.

He sucked in a deep breath as his eyes traced every inch of Merlin. He took in his pale skin, his pronounced collar bones, his dark messy hair, his thick eyelashes, he took it all in and one word came to mind: beautiful. He was truly beautiful.

Arthur didn't stop thinking of him for the rest of the day and the night brought many erotic dreams of the manservant.

…X…X…X…

Arthur slumped down next to Merlin. He stared at the younger man with deep frustration and a mild hint of lust and desire. How was it that he had never noticed how beautiful his manservant really was? How had he missed those kissable lips? That seemed to just be begging to be kissed. Merlin was right; he was a prat, a fucking blind one at that. He gazed at Merlin and he wanted so badly, so God damn badly just to have his way with him.

He wanted to kiss those lips, he wanted to make Merlin scream his name to the heavens and he wanted to mark Merlin as his own, to be the only one who could, would touch him. To be the only one who could make him dizzy with want, need and desire. Arthur suddenly rose to his feet, like he was about to do something, only to find no real reason to his actions. He slumped back down into the chair and sighed.

This had to be the work of the apple.

…X…X…X…

"You need to wake up!" Arthur said staring down at the sleeping warlock, but like yesterday and the day before and the day before that, he stayed asleep. The young prince glared at his manservant as he loomed above him, thinking of all those wonderful dreams that graced his subconscious every night. All those sinful and erotic dreams that had him all hot and bothered and longing for the feel of his friend's touch. Those dreams had him going crazy with want, _need_. The sleeping servant could ease all of Arthur's built up sexual tension only he wasn't sure why that was. He'd never really hated Merlin, sure he was an idiot, very clumsy and didn't know the meaning of 'shut up' but he still liked him… he just didn't realise he lusted for him.

He thought back to the many times he and Merlin and spent together and at first it was friendship then it seemed the lust snuck into Arthur before he even had a chance to see it. He'd gone from looking upon Merlin as a friend to looking at him like he a walking fuck. Surely it had to be the apple? But Merlin was the one who ate it, he was the one in the deep sleep and Arthur was the one with the never ending hard on. But how could have the apple done that? Gaius had told Arthur that the apple had been laced with a sleeping drug; hence the reason Merlin was out of it, but no explanation to Arthur's dreams and wants. It wasn't the apple… it was just Arthur.

Yeah, just Arthur and his extremely attractive manservant.

…X…X…X…

"I'm going to do this" Arthur started down at Merlin, he looked so cute in his sleep (even if it were apple induced) "Merlin… I have feelings for you" deep sigh "at first I thought it was the apple but then I… then I thought about all the time we spend together and I can see now… that I like you, a lot." Merlin didn't even twitch in his sleep, he was just motionless. "So if you don't mind" the prince continued "I am going to kiss you."

And so he did.

The feel of Merlin's soft lips upon his was more amazing then he had ever, _ever_ thought it could have been. His lips fitted perfectly against Merlin's, like they were made for one another. He fell into a dreamy bliss as he continued to let his lips linger upon his servants. Suddenly he felt two arms wrap around him, one around his waist the next over his shoulders and then Merlin was kissing back. Arthur's face flushed with colour as he felt Merlin's tongue brush against his bottom lip. Shivers raced up and down his spin and his toes curled in his boots. Finally the kiss came to an end and they both gasped for air, flushed smiles upon both boys.

Arthur collapsed onto the bed beside Merlin and grinned sheepishly as he ran his long fingers through his sandy locks. Merlin's own sheepish grin was present but it faded as his eyes clouded with confusion and uncertainty. He's mouth fell open as though he were about to speak and Arthur actually longed to hear that voice but no words came. He shut his mouth and turned his gaze away from the young prince. He sucked his bottom lips between his teeth and Arthur had to grip the sheets or else _something_ that shouldn't happen could happen, though it sort of already had. The kiss Arthur had been dreaming about for days had ignited the fire and it was not going to die out.

"I… uh… you" Arthur stumbled on his words "uh… the apple."

Merlin looked up sharply "the apple?" his tone was cold and hard and Arthur felt his heart ache in his chest.

"Yeah the apple…?"

"Right" he nodded curtly before rising to his feet a little too fast and that's when it hit Arthur (he wasn't as smart as he claimed.) Merlin thought the kiss was only because of the apple. Arthur reached deep down into the emotions he kept locked away and that strong overwhelming sense of want, need and love was burning as bright as ever.

"No… it… it was me" he jumped to his feet and took Merlin by his elbows and forced him back down "I thought at first it was the apple… but it wasn't. It's just me!" he sighed as he collapsed onto the bed beside Merlin. "I like you… a lot and it's not just the apple talking."

Merlin smiled timidly, was he really hearing this? "So the apple has nothing to do with" he closed the distance between them and returned his lips to the prince's "that?" a sparkle was visible in his deep blue eyes and a light shad of pink graced his pale cheeks.

Arthur grinned "nothing" he looked away "it did wake me up though" he turned back to face the man he really liked and maybe even loved "It showed me I couldn't be without you… not for a second."

Merlin laughed.

"What?" he demanded.

"I'm just surprised that my dreams are coming true and someone as amazing as you could love a complete klutz like me."

"Well I guess I just proved you wrong" his hand snaked it's away to the bass of Merlin's neck and he titled his head forwards so there forehead were touching "like always."

Merlin grinned before once again claiming the prince's lips with a tender kiss.

This wasn't like always, but it was so much better.

**Please let me know what you think and sorry for spelling mistakes and etc**


End file.
